Boeing confirms $9bn order from flydubai

Boeing and flydubai have announced an order for 75 737 MAX 8s and 11 Next-Generation 737-800s, valued at $8.8bn at list prices. The airline retains purchase rights for 25 more 737 MAXs.

The order for the aircraft was first announced as a commitment at the 2013 Dubai Airshow, making it Boeing’s largest single-aisle airplane order in the Middle East.

According to Boeing, development of the 737 MAX is on schedule with firm configuration of the airplane achieved in July 2013. First flight is scheduled in 2016 with deliveries to customers beginning in 2017.

The order, announced on January 6 2014, coincided with an announcement from Boeing that it had set a company record with 648 commercial aircraft delivered in 2013. The company’s unfilled commercial orders stood at 5,080 at the end of 2013, another record for the company.